Versatile product carrier

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates generally to a new carrier for holding and transporting semiconductor products, and more specifically, to a versatile product carrier for holding and transporting a plurality of products, such as, ceramic substrates, green sheets, wafers, glass and/or metal masks, rigid or floppy disks, to name a few. The modular or versatile product carrier usually has two symmetrical cross-bars and two symmetrical end plates. The two cross-bars securely link into the end plates thereby forming the versatile product carrier of this invention. A cover that can be used to cover the versatile product carrier is also disclosed.

This is a continuation of Ser. No. 410,377, filed Sept. 20, 1989, nowU.S. Pat. No. 5,042,671.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a new carrier for holding andtransporting semiconductor products, and more particularly, to aversatile product carrier for holding and transporting a plurality ofproducts, such as, ceramic substrates. The modular or versatile productcarrier has two symmetrical cross-bars and two symmetrical end plates.The two cross-bars securely link into the end plates thereby forming theversatile product carrier of this invention. A cover for the versatileproduct carrier of this invention is also disclosed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Carriers or boats for holding a plurality of spaced apart semiconductorproducts, such as wafers, green sheets, ceramic substrates, glass and/ormetal masks, or rigid or floppy or optical disks, to name a few, areemployed in many types of semiconductor processing systems to facilitatebatch processing and to minimize damage of the products due to improperhandling. Such carriers are employed, for example, as input magazinesfor sequentially supplying semiconductor products to automatic producthandling and processing systems, or as output magazines for sequentiallyreceiving processed semiconductor products from such systems, or asintermediate (throughput) devices for holding semiconductor productsthat may require sampling, testing, or some other special handling atsome point during processing by such systems. In nearly all of thesecases the product carriers must, at some point, be manually transportedto or from such systems with the attendant risk that in so doing thesemiconductor products may slip from the product carriers and thereby bedamaged or broken, or that the product carrier may not be strong enoughto hold all the products. This risk is particularly great in the case ofcarriers of the type permitting unobstructed passage of semiconductorproducts therethrough. If such carriers are tilted forward or backwardwhile they are being manually transported, any semiconductor productcontained therein may slide out. Although this risk is much lesscritical in the case of carriers of the type permitting passage ofsemiconductive wafers into or out of the carriers from only one end ofthe carrier, care must still be exercised while such a carrier is beingmanually transported to avoid tilting.

Another problem associated with a product carrier is deformation of thecarrier. Past efforts to eliminate the risk of a carrier deformingduring manually transporting semiconductor products have resulted inelaborate procedures. The risk was, in fact, not reduced at all becausemost all of these elaborate procedures address how the operator shouldtransport these products in the carrier, without designing a carrierthat would be versatile for all operations. Moreover, when placing thecarrier in a wafer handling and processing system, the persontransporting the carrier also had to remember to carefully release thesemiconductor products into the handling and processing system. Inaddition to these drawbacks, such mechanisms are generally complex andadd significantly to the cost of the carrier.

In an effort to reduce direct labor assembly costs, many manufacturersare presently employing robots for inserting the products into theappropriate location within electronic devices or testing or assemblydevices. In order for a robot to successfully accomplish its task, thecontrol system must be programmed to know both the precise location fromwhich the product is to be picked up, i.e., the storage location, andthe location at which the product is to be deposited. The versatileproduct carrier of this invention has means to indicate to the robot theprecise location from where the product can be picked up or in whichslot the product has to be placed.

Products are often transported in slotted plastic boxes in which theyare held in edgewise fashion, and it is desirable to have the robot pickthem up directly from the box. The plastic side-walls of conventionalboxes are not always precise because of manufacturing tolerances, or theplastic side-walls may tend to become distorted after extended use. As aresult, the location of the products within the box may not be preciseor may tend to shift. The actual location of the product to be insertedinto the box or taken out of the box by the robot may then differ fromthe location of the product known to the robot control system so thatthe robot may not properly grasp the desired product or may even grasp adifferent product from that which it has been commanded to grasp. Thisis a particular problem where a series of boxes must be handled and itis important to avoid inconsistencies from box to box.

In an effort to overcome these and other disadvantages associated withthe storage and transportation of the products within a plastic box, thepresent invention is specifically directed to a structurally integratedproduct carrier which is directly engageable by a locating device, forprecisely locating the products to facilitate automated handling.

More would be involved in highly automated systems. Obviously theseproduct carriers require a considerable amount of handling.

The product carrier of the present invention greatly simplifies thehandling of the empty carriers. In addition, the design of the productcarrier permits the carriers to be stacked compactly and stored on sitewithout substantially increasing the required floor space. The carriercan also be stored in an unassembled state to save valuable storage orsite space. After processing, the empty product carriers are returned tothe designated site so that additional product may be placed into thecarrier.

These types of carriers or boats are used by the thousands in thesemiconductor industry, and therefore, one of the major concerns forsuch product carriers or cassettes is their low cost along with otherconcerns.

The invention is a "Versatile Product Carrier", or VPC. Basically, theproduct carrier has two end plates and two cross-bars. The two endplates have to be symmetrical and the two cross-bars should besymmetrical with respect to each other. The exact shape of the twocross-bars will depend upon the product shape or geometry. The endplates have a centerpiece, and the centerpiece has columns at each end.These columns have openings on the side to accommodate the retaining endof the cross-bars. The centerpiece also has wave-like tracks for minimumpoint contact and to vertically hold the product. The minimum pointcontact further reduces particulate contamination normally produced byrubbing of the surfaces or by the adherence of the particulates to thesurface within the track. The tracks in the centerpiece also keep theproduct from sliding or being damaged while it is being transported.Instead of the wave-like tracks in the centerpiece one could have slotsthat are presently used in the industry. The slots of course do notprovide the minimum point contact. Stops in the centerpiece prevents theproduct from slipping or sliding through the product carriers.

The length of the cross-bars can vary depending on the size and/or shapeof the product. Similarly, the size of the end plate and/or the openingor slots between the wave-like tracks or guides in the end piece canalso vary depending upon the size of the product. These product carrierscan be stacked one on top of each other and can be orientated asdesired.

The material used to make the parts for the product carriers orcassettes should be of a strength to withstand some of the process thatthe product carrier either alone or with the substrates are normallyexposed to, such as, spinning, developing, cleaning, baking,transferring, automatic inspection, and other loading and unloadingoperations.

The versatile product carrier of this invention is primarily made usingextruded or molded plastic, but other types of material can be used,such as composites and metals. The preferable metals, for example, couldbe aluminum or stainless steel. Similarly, the product carrier can alsobe made from cast or machined plastic or metal or ceramic or any othermaterial that would suit the process and/or product requirements. Aportion or different parts or the whole versatile product carrier couldalso be coated with a coating of a suitable material. The suitablematerials, for example, could be polytetrafluoroethylene or perfluoroalkoxy alkaline, to name a few. The overcoating or coating of the partsor the whole product carrier has many advantages, such as, to reduce orprovide resistance from attack by chemicals and/or fluids. In situationswhere the part is made from a porous material, this overcoating wouldreduce or eliminate absorption of fluids and/or liquid by the porouspart. Another advantage of having a coating would be to provide acushion or abrasion-resistance to the product that may come in contactwith the part. The propensity of the product carrier made ofnon-metallic material or having such an overcoating to damage theproduct contained therein is less than that of a product carrier made ofaluminum or other metals. An antistatic coating could also be appliedonto at least a part or a portion of the product carrier.

The material and design that is chosen to make the product carrier couldalso take into account the optimum chemical-mechanical-temperaturecompatibility for applications where the product carrier along with theproduct is going to be immersed into a liquid solution or a bath.Similarly, the criteria could also include whether or not the productcarrier will be used in a clean room or a contamination-freeenvironment.

The product carrier of this invention with minor changes can accept newproducts having different sizes. This means that all product carriers,both new and old, will be common to all existing process tools andhandling techniques, e.g., robots, auto handling, monitors, readers,etc. All the product carriers will have the same form factor, e.g., footprint. Different products can be moved in and out of the production linewith little or no changes. Similarly, the production line does not haveto change.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A versatile product carrier comprising, a first end plate having aplurality of columns linked by a centerpiece, two or more linking meanshaving a retaining means at each end, a second end plate having aplurality of columns linked by a centerpiece, each of the columns havingat least one opening to accommodate the retaining means of the linkingmeans, the first plate and the second plate are linked together by saidretaining means by inserting the retaining means of the linking meansinto the openings in the columns.

A cover for a versatile product carrier comprising a first side-wall anda second side-wall, and a canopy links the first side-wall with thesecond side-wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features of the invention believed to be novel and the elementscharacteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in theappended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to organizationand method of operation, may best be understood by reference to thedetailed description which follows taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a versatile product carrier according tothe preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the carrier of FIG. 1 showing thecompletely assembled versatile product carrier.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the head of a cross-bar made according to thepreferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view of another head of a cross-bar made according tothe present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cut-away perspective view of another embodiment of aversatile product carrier made according to this invention.

FIG. 6 is a cut-away perspective view of another embodiment of aversatile product carrier made according to this, invention showing onlythe end plate of the versatile product carrier.

FIG. 7 is a side view of another embodiment of the linking means alongwith a cut-away of an end column made according to the teaching of thepresent invention.

FIG. 8 is a side view of yet another embodiment of the linking meansmade according to the teaching of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a side view of yet another embodiment of the linking meanshaving a variety of retaining means made according to the disclosure ofthe present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a wedge madeaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a cover for a product carrier madeaccording to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The product carriers made according to the present invention are usuallymade of two common parts, i.e., the end plate and the cross-bar. Thesetwo parts are usually made using one mold or die. A new mold or diewould only be required if different product thickness or length isrequired. The parts are welded, bonded or snapped together to make thecarrier assembly. The parts can be interchanged to make the carrierdedicated to a particular product or substrate. Both the cross-bars andthe end plates are usually symmetrical. As stated earlier the like partsshould be interchangeable. This means that only one mold or die has tobe made for each part. Therefore, the range of substrate or productsthat this invention can be used for is rather substantial.

The shape of the product that is placed inside the product carrier ofthis invention can be of any shape, such as a polygon, square,rectangular, circular, elliptical or rhombic, to name a few. Similarly,the length or the diameter of the different products can also vary.

To accommodate different sized products in one carrier, adapter platesor adapter rings can be used. The adapter ring personalizes the carrierfor a particular substrate by making the adapter ring for thatparticular substrate's length, width or diameter. The adapter ring orplate would be the only non-standard part; however, it will slide intothe same mounting slots as the other products. All parts in one productcarrier are mounted in the same way regardless of their sizes or shapes.

The products or substrates are preferably held vertically in the productcarrier, but, they could be mounted and held horizontally. The mountingmethod should be such as to allow air and cleaning fluids free and easyaccess without obstruction. This will improve cleaning of the substrateand reduces contamination. The adapter plate or ring holding the productor substrate makes minimal sliding contact with the raised segments ortracks as seen in the figures. The wave-like tracks also further reducethe surface-to-product contact contamination and the wave-like tracksalso allow the cleaning fluids to easily and freely pass through. Thewhole product carrier has been designed to provide maximum productexposure for air purging and cleaning with no fluid traps.

The carrier parts are all interchangeable and therefore they can bemixed and matched, and can handle all types of handling techniques, suchas manual or robotics.

The invention can provide structures of various sizes and shapes, whichcan be assembled and disassembled quickly and without assistance ofspecial tools. The invention is very modular and can be adapted to avariety of product and/or processes.

The end plates are usually symmetrical and interchangeable. The endplates can have openings as shown, so that the end plates can be easilycleaned or the product that is contained inside this Versatile ProductCarrier can be easily cleaned. Additionally, for some processes theseopenings or holes would be designed to allow for maximum productexposure to gas and/or liquid, as required by the product and/orprocess. The openings, of course, can be of any size or shape as long asthey do not have an adverse affect on the integrity of the structure.

The invention allows the development of new products because theversatile product carrier of this invention is so modular that it doesnot require new facilities, new process tools or major changes toexisting tools and facilities causing large capital expenditures andlost time. The existing parts or pieces from the product carrier can beeasily changed, and only a limited number of new parts are needed fornew products that need to be manufactured. The delays caused by customdesigning product carriers for each new product or for each newapplication, usually, impedes new product development.

The carrier parts can be reclaimed and the carrier can be repaired byreplacing damaged parts. There is, of course, substantial cost saving,because only the damaged part needs to be repaired or replaced, and thewhole carrier does not have to be thrown away.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are the perspective views of the preferred embodiment ofthe versatile product carrier. The versatile product carrier 1, has fourbasic parts. They are the first end plate 3, second end plate 4, thefirst cross-bar 21, and the second cross-bar 22. Both end plates aresymmetrical and are a mirror image of each other. Similarly, the twocross-bars or the linking means are symmetrical and are a mirror imageof each other. The end plate 3, is comprised of three parts, namely, thecenterpiece 13, and the two columns and 6. Similarly, the end plate 4,is comprised of three parts, namely, the centerpiece 14, and the twocolumns 5 and 6. Both columns 5 and 6, have openings 7, to accommodatethe retaining means or the head 23, from the linking means or thecross-bars 21 and 22. Both columns 5 and 6 are identical in their shapesand sizes to each other, as shown in FIG. 1, but they do not have to beidentical for some other application. The columns 5 and 6 are shown asbeing an integral part of the end plate 3 and 4, but the columns 5 and 6can be formed separately and then secured to the end plate 3 and 4 bymethods well known in the art. The end columns 5 and 6, also havealignment notch or notched openings 17, to align and/or guide therobotic arm during an automatic or robotic pick-up. Similarly, thecenterpieces 13 and 14, have a ledge or lip 12, with lower notched-openings 10, and upper notched-openings 11, for aligning and/or guidingthe robotic arm during automatic or robotic pick-up. The upper notched-openings 11, is similar to the notched-openings 17. Both end plates 3and 4, have raised segments 9. The raised segments 9, could have anopening 19, to allow for fluids to pass through and for cleaning theversatile product carrier 1, and/or the product 40. Similarly, in areasnot covered by the raised segment 9, it could have openings 20, to allowfor fluids to pass through and for cleaning the versatile productcarrier 1, and/or the product 40. The centerpieces 13 and 14, have aplurality of stops 15, between the raised segments 9, to prevent theproduct 40, from slipping or sliding. The top surface of the column 5,can be provided with a flat surface 29, for the mounting or forming ofan identifying code, such as, a decal or the Universal Product Code(UPC) bar code or the surface could be provided with a Binary CodeDecimal (BCD) code, to name a few. Having an identifying code on eachcarrier would be very helpful in tracking each of the carriers usingoptical or other electronic devices already known to the people skilledin the art. The top surface of columns 5 or 6, would have a protrusion28, that would be used for the alignment of the carrier or for stackingof the carriers. The location of the flat surface 29 or the protrusion28, should be in the top surface of one of the columns but it does nothave to be there. Similarly, column 5, could have the protrusion 28, andthe top surface of column 6, could have the flat surface 29, for theplacement or the formation of the identifying code. The protrusion 28,could have a notched opening 26, but it could also be a solid piece. Thebottom surface of both columns 5 and 6, should have a notched-opening45, to allow for the stacking of the versatile product carrier 1, or forthe aligning of the carrier 1. The columns 5 and 6 could be hollow onthe inside as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, by the number 47, or they could beone solid piece with only openings 7, a protrusion 28 having an opening26, and a small notched-opening 45. If the end columns 5 and 6, arehollow then this would reduce the material and/or the overall weight ofthe product carrier and possibly reduce the fabrication costs. The endplates 3 and 4, could be provided with corner support piece 24, tostrengthen the carrier structure and to provide additional stability tothe carrier. The support piece 24, could be an integral part of thecarrier or it could be secured in its corner place with means well knownin the art, such as, using a glue for bonding or using mechanical means,such as, screws or welding. An identifying code 18, can be formed on theside-wall of the end plates 3 and/or 4, to assist with the processing ofthe product that maybe contained within the product carrier 1.

The cross-bars 21 and 22, sturdily hold the end plates 3 and 4 together.The cross-bars 21 and 22, are usually symmetrical and completelyidentical. Both cross-bars 21 and 22, have four retaining means or heads23. The cross-bars 21 and 22, may have a depressed area 27. Thedepressed area 27 may be an open area or it may have one or moreopenings to allow for the cleaning of the contents of the carrier or forallowing for a fluid to flow more into and out of the carrier. In somesituations it may be preferred to have the depressed area a solid pieceto provide strength and stability to the carrier. If the cross-bars 21and 22, are hollow or the depressed area 27, has ribs or openings, thenthis would reduce the overall weight of the product carrier and possiblyreduce the fabrication costs.

FIG. 2, shows the versatile product carrier of FIG. 1, in completelyassembled shape. The product 40, which is one of the semiconductorproducts that this versatile product carrier is used to transport isshown in phantom lines in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 3 and 4, show different possible shapes for the retaining means orthe head. FIG. 3, shows the head 23, having an open area 39, and anenlarged open area or cavity 40. The head 23 has a flexible snap lock37, which gets inserted into the opening 7, of either column 5 or column6. The snap lock 37, has a mating surface or straight seat 33, to matewith and accommodate the wall edge within the opening 7, of theversatile product carrier 1. The latch 35 prevents the snap lock 37,from sliding out of the opening 7, while the compression stabilizer 31,inserts a force against the inner walls of the end columns 5 and 6, andholds head 23, in place, thereby providing stability to the productcarrier. The compression stabilizer 31, remains under compression toprovide rigidity to the structure. As a further precaution, a wedge or apin or a key 44, could be inserted into the opening 39. The wedge 44,can be of any geometric shape and should be designed to provide maximumlocking protection. The wedge 44, looks more like a baseball bat, havinga protruding region 46, which is inserted into the enlarged opening orcavity 40. The main purpose for the insertion of the wedge 44, into theopenings 39 and 40, is to prevent the snap locks 37, from accidentallygetting compressed and being able to slide out of the opening 7. Thedepressed area 27, could also be provided with at least one opening 30.The opening 30, would allow the fluid to move into and out of theversatile product carrier. These openings can be of any size or shapeand their overall exact dimensions would depend upon the structuralintegrity requirements of the versatile product carrier.

FIG. 4 shows a head 43, which is similar to the head 23, except theflexible snap lock 47, has a mating surface or straight seat 34, to matewith and accommodate the wall edge within the opening 7, of theversatile product carrier 1. Also the latch 45, is a little morepronounced than the latch 35, of the head 23. As shown in FIG. 4, thearea 49, is an open area.

FIG. 5 is a partial view of another embodiment of the versatile productcarrier. The end plate 50 has a column connecting bar 54, along with acenterpiece 53, and end column 55, having openings 57. The wave-likeraised segments 59, hold the product in a vertical position, while thestop 56, prevents the product (not shown) from sliding down. The opening60, allow for the fluid to pass through and to allow for the cleaning ofthe versatile product carrier and/or the product. The raised segments59, could have at least one opening, similar to the openings 19, in theraised segments 9, to allow for the fluid to pass through and to allowfor the cleaning of the versatile product carrier and/or the product.The modular centerpiece 53, has a mating slider 52, that goes into thetrack 51 and mates with the end column 55. The mating slider 52, can bebonded, welded, brazed or snapped in place or secured by other means tothe track 51, to make the centerpiece 53, an integral part of the endplate 50. The spacing between the raised segments 59, could of course bedifferent to accommodate different size products. The end column 55, issimilar to end columns 5 and 6 already described earlier. The end column55 has openings 57, to accommodate the head 23 or head 43 or head 63.The column connecting bar 54, can have notches (not shown) which aresimilar to the notched-openings 11, already discussed above. Thesenotches 11, are usually used for robotic alignment. Similarly, the topsurface of the end column 55, could be provided with a flat surface 69,and/or a lip or raised section 68, for the placement or formation of anidentifying code, such as a decal or a UPC bar code or a BCD code or aprotruding portion similar to protrusion 28, discussed earlier. Thebottom surface of the end column 55, could be provided with openingssimilar to openings 45, to provide alignment and for stacking theversatile product carriers. The cross-bar 61, is shown as a solid piece,but it could be of some other shape. The cross-bar 61, partially shown,has a head 63. The head 63, has a flexible snap lock 67, having a latch65. The head 63, also has a compression stabilizer 64. The cross-bar 61,as shown, is a solid piece without a depressed area, but it could have adepressed area. Similarly, the cross-bar 61 could also having ribs oropenings, similar to the ones shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 6 shows a partial embodiment of a versatile product carrier madeaccording to this invention. Only one wall of the carrier is shown. Theend plate 70, comprises a battery of end columns and centerpieces. Asshown in FIG. 6, the end plate 70 has end columns 75, 85 and 95 havingopenings 77, 87 and 97, respectively. The centerpieces 73 and 83, areheld between columns 75 and 85, and between 85 and 95, respectively. Thecolumn connecting bars 74 and 84, join the end columns 75 and 85, andend columns 85 and 95, respectively. The column connecting bars 74 and84, could have notched-openings similar to the notched-openings 11,shown in FIG. 1. The centerpiece 73, has raised tablets 79, withopenings 78. The raised tablets 79, securely hold the product (notshown) in an upright position, and the stops 76 and 86, prevent theproduct from sliding. The raised tablets 79, have contoured side wallsthat have a point contact 72. This point contact 72, makes a minimumcontact with a product (not shown), and further helps to reduceparticulate contamination normally produced by rubbing of the surfacesor by the adherence of the particulates to the surface within the track.The centerpiece 83, has raised columns or segments 89, with slottedopenings 88. The openings 78 and 88, allow for the fluid to pass throughand to allow for the cleaning of the versatile product carrier and/orthe product. The raised tablets 79, and the raised segments 89, couldhave at least one opening, similar to the openings 19, in the raisedsegments 9, to allow for the fluid to pass through and to allow for thecleaning of the versatile product carrier and/or the product. Anidentifying code 99, could also be placed on the side of a column asshown in conjunction with end column 75. A mirror image of the end plate70, would be required to securely form a versatile product carrier usingany of the cross-bars disclosed in this specification. The openings 77,87, and 97 accommodate a cross-bar to securely form the versatileproduct carrier.

FIG. 7 is another embodiment of the linking means or the cross-bar thatcan be used with the versatile product carrier of this invention. Alsoshown is a cut-away of an end column that would accommodate this type ofa cross-bar. The centerpiece (not shown) could also have the same orsimilar shape as shown for the end column 109. The H-shaped cross-bar101, has heads 103. The heads 103 are similar to the heads alreadydescribed earlier. The cross-bar 101, has an upper arm 106, and a lowerarm 108. The upper arm 106, and the lower arm 108, maybe of the samelength or of a different length. The head 103, has a compressionstabilizer 104, a lead-in latch 105, and a flexible snap-lock 102. Asshown in FIG. 7, the length of the upper arm 106, is different than thelength of the lower arm 108, and therefore the end column of theversatile product carrier has to be shaped to allow the head 103, tosnap or bond into the opening of the end column. One such embodiment isshown in FIG. 7, where the end column 109, having opening 107, toaccommodate the head 103, is shaped to conform to the upper arm 106, andthe lower arm 108, of the H-shaped cross-bar 101.

FIG. 8 shows yet another embodiment of the linking means or thecross-bar to be used with the versatile product carrier of thisinvention. The cross-bar 111, has struts 112, to further secure thecross-bar 111 from twisting or turning. Head 113, which is similar tothe head 23, is shown with the cross-bar 111, but any head disclosed canbe used. On the side of the cross-bar 111, an identifying code 119,could also be placed.

FIG. 9 shows yet another embodiment of the linking means or thecross-bar and having a variety of retaining means to be used with theversatile product carrier of this invention. The cross-bar 121, hasstruts 122, to further secure the cross-bar 121 from twisting orturning. The cross-bar as shown has four different types of retainingmeans or heads, namely, heads 123, 126, 133 and 136. For mostapplications only one type of a head would be used. Head 123 is shownwith the compression stabilizer 124, and a post 125. In some situationsa compression stabilizer may not be needed for the head of a cross-baras shown by head 133, and head 136. The head 133, comprises of a post135. The cross-section of the post 125 or the post 135, can be of anyshape, such as, it could be a square or a round or a rectangular or anyother shape known to a person skilled in the art. The head 126, as shownhas a compression stabilizer 124, and a plurality of fingers 127, withopenings 129. The head 136, has fingers 137, with openings 139. Theopenings 129, or the openings 139, could be large enough to accommodatea conformal wedge or a key, as discussed earlier. The retaining means orthe head as discussed earlier can of course be welded, bonded, glued,brazed or snapped into the opening in the end columns. Other head shapesdisclosed can also be used.

FIG. 10, shows another embodiment of wedge or key that can be used tofurther secure the head of a cross-bar from slipping or sliding out ofthe opening in the end column. The conformal flat pin or key or wedge144, is rectangular in shape and has protrusion 146. The wedge 144 isinserted sideways into the mouth or opening of a head, such as head 23or 43, and then twisted or turned 90 degrees so that the protrusion 146,fully occupies the opening, such as opening 40 in head 23 or 43.

A cover 150, that can be used with the versatile product carrier of thisinvention is shown in FIG. 11. The cover 150, is usually made of moldedor extruded plastic, but other methods or materials could be used, suchas extrusion or machining or using materials such as composites ormetals. The cover 150, has a first side-wall 153, and a second side-wall154, and top side-walls 163 and 164, respectively. A canopy 160, linksthe top side-wall 163, with the top side-wall 164. Both side-walls 163and 164, have a ledge or lip 162, with alignment notch ornotched-openings 161. The notched-openings 161, act as a guide or analigning means for the robotic arm. Linking means or ribs or struts 157,link the top side-walls 163 and 164, to the first side-wall 153, and thesecond side-wall 154, respectively. Between the struts 157, there couldbe an open area 158. Additionally, the first side-wall and the topside-wall and the second side-wall and the top side-wall can be onepiece, without the struts and without any opening where the two piecesmeet. The first side-wall and the second side-wall have openings 166, toallow the fluid to move into and out of the versatile product carrier.These openings 166, could be similar to the alignment notch 161, for thealignment of a robotic arm, or for use during an automated process.Similarly, the processing of the product could be expedited or closelymonitored by having an identifying code 159, formed on an appropriatesurface of the cover 150. Both the first side-wall 153 and the secondside-wall have lip or ledge 152, that snaps into the lip or ledge 12, ofthe versatile product carrier, to cover and to lift the carrier of thisinvention. The side-walls 153 and 54, and the canopy 160, are shown asone solid piece, but they could have openings or be perforated to allowfor the fluids to enter and egress from the versatile product carrier.The cover 150, could also be made of a transparent material to allow anoperator to see the contents covered by the cover 150. A translucenttype material could also be used for the cover 150. In a robotic or anautomatic process, a robotic arm (not shown) would grasp the cover 150,from the two ledges or lips 162, and press inwardly thereby forcing thelip or ledge 152, to move outwardly and away from the lip or ledge 12.This robotic arm action would separate the cover 150, from the versatileproduct carrier and thus the cover 150, would be easily removed. Usingthe reverse process the cover 150, could be easily mounted onto aversatile product carrier of this invention.

While the present invention has been particularly described, inconjunction with a specific preferred embodiment, it is evident thatmany alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent tothose skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. It istherefore contemplated that the appended claims will embrace any suchalternatives, modifications and variations as falling within the truescope and spirit of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A versatile product carrier comprising:(a) a first end plate having a plurality of columns linked by a first centerpiece, said first centerpiece having means for accommodating a product, (b) two or more linking means having an end, and further having a snapable retaining means at each said end, (c) a second end plate having a plurality of columns linked by a second centerpiece, said second centerpiece having means for accommodating a product, (d) each of said columns having at least one opening, to accommodate said snapable retaining means of said linking means, (e) said first end plate and said second end plate are linked together by said snapable retaining means by inserting said snapable retaining means of said linking means into said openings in said columns.
 2. The versatile product carrier of claim 1, wherein at least one of said centerpiece has at least one opening.
 3. The versatile product carrier of claim 1, wherein said centerpieces have at least one stop to vertically support said product.
 4. The versatile product carrier of claim 1, wherein said centerpieces have at least one raised segment to vertically support said product.
 5. The versatile product carrier of claim 1, wherein said versatile product carrier is made from molded plastic.
 6. The versatile product carrier of claim 1, wherein said versatile product carrier is made from extruded plastic.
 7. The versatile product carrier of claim 1, wherein said versatile product carrier is made from metal.
 8. The versatile product carrier of claim 1, wherein said versatile product carrier is made by machining.
 9. The versatile product carrier of claim 1, wherein said versatile product carrier is made from a composite material.
 10. The versatile product carrier of claim 1, having at least one flat surface for placement or formation of an identifying code.
 11. The versatile product carrier of claim 1, wherein at least one of said linking means has at least one rib.
 12. The versatile product carrier of claim 1, wherein at least one of said linking means has at least one opening.
 13. The versatile product carrier of claim 1, wherein at least one of said linking means has an upper arm and a lower arm.
 14. The versatile product carrier of claim 13, wherein said upper arm is of a different length than said lower arm.
 15. The versatile product carrier of claim 1, wherein at least one of said snapable retaining means is bonded into said opening in said columns.
 16. The versatile product carrier of claim 1, wherein at least one of said snapable retaining means is welded into said opening in said column.
 17. The versatile product carrier of claim 1, wherein at least one of said snapable retaining means is brazed into said opening in said column.
 18. The versatile product carrier of claim 1, wherein a portion of at least one of said column is hollow.
 19. The versatile product carrier of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said versatile product carrier is coated with an overcoating.
 20. The versatile product carrier of claim 19, wherein said overcoating is an antistatic coating.
 21. The versatile product carrier of claim 1, wherein at least one said centerpiece is coated with an overcoating.
 22. The versatile product carrier of claim 1, wherein at least one column has a track to mate with a corresponding centerpiece.
 23. A cover for a versatile product carrier of claim 1, comprising:(a) a first side-wall and a second side-wall, and (b) a canopy linking said first side-wall with said second side-wall.
 24. The cover for a versatile product carrier of claim 23, wherein said first side-wall further comprises a top side-wall.
 25. The cover for a versatile product carrier of claim 23, wherein said second side-wall further comprises a top side-wall.
 26. The cover for a versatile product carrier of claim 23, wherein at least one side-wall further comprises a ledge.
 27. The cover for a versatile product carrier of claim 23, having at least one flat surface for the placement or formation of an identifying code.
 28. The cover for a versatile product carrier of claim 23, wherein at least one side-wall has at least one opening.
 29. The cover for a versatile product carrier of claim 24, wherein at least one means for connecting is provided to connect said first side-wall to said top side-wall.
 30. The cover for a versatile product carrier of claim 25, wherein at least one means for connecting is provided to connect said second side-wall to said top side-wall.
 31. The cover for a versatile product carrier of claim 23, wherein said canopy has at least one opening.
 32. The cover for a versatile product carrier of claim 23, wherein said cover is made of a transparent material.
 33. The cover for a versatile product carrier of claim 23, wherein said cover is made of a translucent material.
 34. The cover for a versatile product carrier of claim 23, wherein said cover is made from plastic.
 35. The cover for a versatile product carrier of claim 23, wherein said cover is made from molded plastic.
 36. The cover for a versatile product carrier of claim 23, wherein said cover is made from extruded plastic.
 37. The cover for a versatile product carrier of claim 23, wherein said cover ia made from metal.
 38. The cover for a versatile product carrier of claim 23, wherein said cover is made from a composite material. 